


Act One

by alatarmaia4



Series: The Play 'Verse [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Evolutionary and Cosmic History, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, More tags to be added as story progresses, Probably at least one instance of blasphemy of some kind
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-02
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-05-30 19:23:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,645
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6437176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alatarmaia4/pseuds/alatarmaia4
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gabriel's been around a very long time. There's not much to do in the Beginning - not until nir Parent really gets down to Creating some truly interesting things that aren't angels. But not everything is as simple as it seems, and angels aren't the best at adapting to change.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Creation

**Author's Note:**

> So, yeah, this is basically a rewrite of לפני , which was my first Gabriel backstory. This is the newer, more in-depth version of that story, featuring things I've changed my mind about and things I wished I'd included the first time around.
> 
> I'll probably (maybe) finish up לפני at some point, but don't be too disappointed if I forget. This story follows the same plotline I was going to use with that one, so it's basically the same story. But longer. And more detailed.
> 
> I'm going to do my best to follow Biblical (and other holy books') canon here, so if you're religious please go easy!

Gabriel didn't remember being Created. Ne was not, and then ne was.

Ne existed, and ne was not alone.

The other presence made a soothing noise when Gabriel shifted, holding nem securely. Gabriel didn't have the words yet for the things ne felt - the emotions, ne later realized, that nir Parent was radiating towards nem. Ne didn't know who the other presence was, either, not yet.

Lack of wisdom aside, given ne wasn't aware of the deficit, Gabriel settled down and looked towards the other presence instead.

They were very bright, and very tall. On some instinct, Gabriel tried to spread nemself out when ne realized how high up ne were, but only succeeded in fanning out nir...?

"Already trying to use your wings?" The other presence _spoke._ Gabriel didn't know what being startled was, but ne felt it. The presence curled nem closer. "Not yet, Gabriel."

Gabriel was, at that moment, seized with the certainty that Gabriel meant _nem._

"Gabriel." Nir own voice shocked nem into silence. Ne hadn't meant to speak. The other presence made a low, amused sound, and stroked nir wings soothingly.

"No time like the present," They said, and moved to put Gabriel down.

Gabriel clutched at the presence, because really, They were the only thing ne knew at the moment. The presence gently detached nir grip and set nem down.

"You may come in," They said, and Gabriel wasn't sure what They meant by that.

Three others entered, wings rustling and creating a riot of color in what was previously an empty space.

Gabriel stared.

"Aww," one of them cooed, the one with bright wings that ne folded around Gabriel. "Look, mine's cuter."

"Ne isn't yours, Samael." The second one had wings that were...cooler. They weren't quite as _right-there-in-front-of-you_ as the first one's _._

"Spoilsport." Samael brought Gabriel close to nem. " _Hey_ there."

"What's nir name?" The smallest one with the darkest wings asked.

"Gabriel." Compared to the other three, the first presence seemed overall more _there_ than the rest of them. There was simply _more_ of Them. If that made any sense.

"'My strength is God," the second one murmured.

"Oh, we know what it means, Michael," Samael said lightly. Michael didn't seem to appreciate nir contribution being dismissed; the feeling Gabriel got from nem darkened distinctly.

"Don't mind Samael's teasing," The first presence said. "Let Raphael have Gabriel for a moment. I would like to speak to the two of you."

Gabriel protested when Samael handed nem over, but Samael just patted nem and pushed Raphael in the direction of wherever they'd come from.

Raphael's wings spread, and Gabriel discovered what flying was.

When they landed, gently, like Raphael was being extra careful, Gabriel looked up at nem and said, "Do that again."

* * *

Gabriel learned a lot of things from Raphael.

The first presence was nir _Parent._ They had Created Michael, then Samael, then Raphael, and now Gabriel.

Gabriel was an _archangel._ That meant ne had a lot of power, but not as much as nir Parent. Samael would teach nem how to use it, like Michael had taught (and was still teaching) Raphael.

They were in a place called _Heaven._ There was another place, outside of Heaven, called _the Empty._ Gabriel was not allowed to go there, _at all._ None of them were.

Raphael said their Parent didn't go there either. There were things in the Empty that shouldn't be trifled with. This was Very Important and Ne Had To Remember It, Understand?

Gabriel did. Ne was still figuring out what 'danger' was, but it didn't sound good.

Raphael nodded when ne agreed, and then helped nem try to fly.

Gabriel still couldn't when Michael and Samael returned from their conversation with Parent. Raphael was in the middle of trying to straighten out nir feathers from the last attempt, which had...not gone well.

"You've been busy," Michael said dryly. Samael was exuding amusement, and scooped Gabriel up again.

"How did flying go?" Ne asked, and Gabriel shook nir head.

"I can't."

"You'll learn soon enough," Samael promised. "Raphael did. It's easy, trust me."

It didn't seem so easy to Gabriel. Ne couldn't figure out how ne was supposed to handle coordinating all his wings at the same time.

"Give nem time," Michael said. "Gabriel will figure it out." Michael patted nem, almost as an afterthought, a sort of distant, caring gesture. "It will be nice to have another one of us around."

Raphael had told nem that they were all _siblings._ Gabriel decided then and there that siblings were the best thing ne could have possibly been Created with.

* * *

Samael seemed pleased with how fast Gabriel was catching up with the rest of them.

Ne was still having trouble with flying, but Gabriel was sure if Samael just helped nem for a little longer it would be easy. Samael showed nem other things in the meantime, little tricks and more complicated workings when Gabriel mastered the easy ones.

Nir power was called _Grace,_ and it was what Gabriel was made of. There was other stuff in nem other than Grace, but when ne asked what it was called Samael didn't know.

"The stuff angels are made of," ne answered. "It doesn't need a name, Gabriel, it is just what we are."

There were other things Samael told nem about; things ne said Gabriel _needed_ to know. Like the Leviathan, the things in the Empty that Raphael had skated over.

They were older than even Michael, and they had been a mistake, which was why they weren't allowed in Heaven, or else who _knew_ how much they'd destroy.

"It's alright," Samael said hastily when ne realized ne'd scared Gabriel. "Parent keeps them out, in the Empty. And They're strong, much stronger than Michael or I. They use almost all Their power keeping us safe. That's why they didn't have as much for you."

"What does that mean?"

Samael looked down at nem fondly. "It means that you were made very carefully, so you must keep yourself safe. Understand?"

"I do."

That was when Samael started teaching nem how to fight.

Gabriel didn't know ne had a sword to summon until Samael showed nem how to find it.

The sword was almost easier than flying. There was only one of it, for starters, and Samael could much more easily demonstrate what to do.

Michael came to watch, sometimes, as the two of them worked. It unsettled Gabriel, to have a blatant audience. Michael caught every movement, and watched like ne was judging Gabriel for every one of them.

"Do you approve?" Samael said lightly, after several of these incidences. "Or do you come because you're afraid I'll do something wrong?" One of nir wings nudged Gabriel closer, curling around nem.

"I only wish to see for myself," Michael said. Ne was never quiet. Michael didn't shout, either, but ne didn't need to.

"I think he's doing quite well."

"I'm trying," Gabriel piped up. Michael was intimidating. Ne didn't want nir oldest sibling to be upset with nem.

Michael sighed, understanding apparent in the way that all of them could show, without actually saying anything. "Parent wants to talk to you, Samael."

Samael retracted nir wing. "Go to Raphael," ne said, pointing Gabriel in the right direction. "Michael and I have some business to attend to."

Gabriel went reluctantly, calling out for Raphael. Without being able to fly, it was hard to get anywhere. It made Gabriel glad they could all talk without being physically near each other.

Raphael came quickly, landing just next to Gabriel. "What is it?"

"Samael told me to go to you."

Ne immediately understood. "Are They talking to nem again?"

"Yes," Gabriel said, and then added, "I wish I knew what about."

"It must be something they are better equipped to deal with," Raphael reasoned. "They have a reason for everything."

"I know," Gabriel said. Ne'd been told that several times. Ne had a purpose, just like everyone else their Parent created. "But don't you want to know?"

"...A little," Raphael admitted. "I'm sure we'll both be told when we need to know."

* * *

"Why do I not see Parent anymore?"

"They're busy," Samael said.

"With what?"

"With the sort of thing that They do," Samael replied evasively. "Will you concentrate on flying, Gabriel?"

Gabriel ruffled nir wings pointedly, spreading them as wide as they would go. Ne liked them - they were a nice color, bright like Samael's. "I _have_ been concentrating."

"You have not, or else you wouldn't be asking me about things I can't tell you." Samael tugged teasingly on the edges of Gabriel's feathers. "Now try and take off, again."

Gabriel _did_ try, really. Ne just couldn't get all nir wings to work together with each other. The smaller pairs went backwards when the larger ones were coming forwards and ne stumbled and fell. Again.

"This isn't working," Samael sighed, picking up.

"What else am I supposed to do?" Gabriel said plaintively.

Samael seemed to think for a moment. "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," Gabriel said, surprised that ne would even think to ask.

Samael tossed nem up with a laugh.

Gabriel panicked as soon as there was nothing solid underneath nem, spreading nir wings on instinct. Ne brought them all down hard, suspending nemself for an instant. All of them came back up together, working smoothly, and Gabriel coasted until Samael darted past and caught nem up in a safe hold again.

"There you go!" Samael was exuberant, pressing in happiness and congratulations on Gabriel. "Look at you! You flew!"

"I did!" Gabriel was vibrating with excitement. "Let me go, I want to try again!"

Samael dropped nem. Gabriel tried again and it worked, _again,_ and ne shot off with a whoop.

This was _fun._

Michael found them like that, Gabriel darting around and Samael playfully giving chase.

"So you've solved the problem," ne called out, making both of them slow. Gabriel hadn't quite got the hang of hovering yet, so ne dropped into Samael's arms and grabbed on. Samael, to nir credit, barely reacted other than holding Gabriel properly instead of just letting nem dangle.

"Of course," Samael said smugly. "I told you Gabriel would learn."

"I didn't disagree." Michael seemed faintly proud. "Well done, Gabriel."

"Thank you." Gabriel didn't let go of Samael.

"Why don't I go get Raphael so you can show off?" Samael chirped brightly. "Here, trade you."

"For what?" Michael looked as startled as Gabriel when the latter was abruptly handed over to nem.

"Your time? You decide!" Samael shot off before Michael could reply.

Michael and Gabriel stared at each other.

"Could you put me down?" Gabriel asked politely. Michael's relief was evident, but ne was very careful and didn't just drop Gabriel like Samael did sometimes.

Gabriel shuffled awkwardly and wondered if trying to practice taking off from a standstill would be rude.

"I know I haven't seen much of you," Michael began, attracting nir attention. "I wasn't very good at this with Raphael, either."

"I don't mind." Gabriel really didn't. Ne liked Samael better.

"Nevertheless." Michael, in an attempt to be nice, patted Gabriel awkwardly. "I assure it's not a reflection of my feelings for you."

Raphael interrupted anything further by landing in a flurry of feathers. "Samael said you flew!" The older archangel followed more sedately, nodding encouragement at Gabriel.

Gabriel spread nir wings and launched nemself up.


	2. Purgatory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! I hope some of you noticed the art I added in at the end of the last one.
> 
> This isn't much longer, but I promise stuff will start getting more detailed. As it is, there's not much going on to detail. 
> 
> But there is some tension n stuff! So hope you enjoy!

With enough practice, Gabriel could outpace all three of nir older siblings, arrowing through the space of Heaven and generally causing trouble (there was the one memorable incident where ne'd nearly charged into Samael and only averted that by using nir sibling as a launch surface).

There wasn't much to do in Heaven, though, so the amount of chaos ne could cause was limited to whichever sibling happened to be in the way.

Nir Parent must have been pleased with nir progress, or else They would not have called Gabriel to speak with Them.

Gabriel made nir way in carefully. Nir Parent could be somewhat reclusive, and ne hadn't seen much of Them since nir Creation. "Parent?"

"I am here, Gabriel."

Their presence was a warm comfort, and undeniably present. Gabriel liked that, how _there_ nir Parent was.

"Come here." They gestured, and Gabriel went closer willingly, pressing nemself into nir Parent's side and the reassuring comfort. They patted nem absentmindedly in the same way that Michael had.

There was the beginnings of something taking shape in front of Them. Gabriel tilted nir head, trying to make sense of what it was supposed to be.

"Tell me, Gabriel; Samael's mentioned the Leviathan to you, hasn't ne?"

Gabriel nodded. It wasn't surprising that They knew, only that They asked.

They poked at the thing in front of Them. "I've been thinking," They said. "Michael and Samael know this. Something more permanent is needed, for the Leviathan."

Gabriel eyes the not-finished-thing, a suspicion of what it might be growing. "The Leviathan can't get in."

"No," They agreed. "But I do not wish to have to bar them in the Empty forever." A few more bits and pieces added themselves to the small thing, taking it a few steps closer to completion. Gabriel still didn't quite see what it was supposed to be.

"I'll need you four for that," They said, looking down at Gabriel. "Do you think you're ready for that?"

"Of course," Gabriel said immediately. "What do we have to do?"

* * *

"You're still a _fledgling_." Samael sounded aghast. Ne was practically hiding Gabriel in nir wings.

"Ne knows how to fight," Michael pointed out. "You taught nem."

"Gabriel's not ready for this so soon! We could wait-"

"Not any longer than we already have," They said, and Samael fell silent. "I waited long enough to Create Gabriel, and then to make another place to put the Leviathan. Now is the time."

Gabriel wriggled out from under Samael's largest wing. Samael curled it back around nem without looking down. "I know," Samae said. "But ne's still young-"

"It's necessary, Samael. I regret this as much as you do."

"I can do it," Gabriel piped up. "I'll be fine!" Samael looked pained.

"Gabriel," Michael said softly, "you've never seen one of the Leviathan."

"I can go with Samael."

Nir Parent shook Their head. "Come closer," They said. "I'll show you what you must do."

Raphael crept in next to Gabriel, sandwiching nemself in between nem and Michael. The not-finished thing was finished now, displayed before all of them, and Gabriel tilted his head again to try and understand the shape of it.

"What is it?" Samael asked.

"Purgatory," nir Parent says. "Somewhere that is neither Heaven nor the Empty. Somewhere they will not be able to leave."

* * *

The plan was relatively simple, but there was still a lot for Gabriel to remember.

At the moment, nir only job was to stick close to Samael. Gabriel had never been this close to the Empty, and the lack of anything at all frightened nem, which made nir duty easy.

Gabriel was glad ne was fast, because that meant ne could be sure of keeping up with Samael, even when nir sibling wasn't thinking of the younger archangel tagging along.

"I don't see anything," Gabriel said quietly, glad for once that they could talk without talking like the Leviathan did, that their talking was just straight to one another without risk of being overheard except by their Parent.

"Hush, Gabriel." Samael had a tight grip on nir sword. "They're out there."

It was the first time Gabriel had ever disliked nir wings, but they felt too bright now, too obvious to anyone - anything - watching. "How do you know?"

"Because this is where they want to be."

Gabriel glanced nervously at the black fringes of the Empty. It didn't look inhabited. If ne looked very close, ne saw what might have been blacker things moving in the not-light.

"Stay close," Samael warned, and they skirted ever closer.

Gabriel did not want to go into the Empty. Surely this would be close enough - to get the attention of the Leviathan, to be able to corral them and lock them into the new realm.

"Are you ready?" Samael asked, concern thrumming through nem and brushing up against Gabriel. Gabriel nodded, mentally rehearsing all the different forms Samael had taught nem and squeezing nir blade tight.

Samael hesitated a moment longer, and then before Gabriel could protest plucked out a small feather and tucked it among Gabriel's. "For luck," ne said. "Stay safe, little sibling."

Gabriel nodded again. Samael kept moving. Gabriel did not.

Ne watched the Empty closely, not daring to go closer but too fearful of messing something up to step away. Samael, in the edge of their vision, grew fainter and fainter.

"Samael," Gabriel whispered, suddenly self-conscious and worried.

 _It's alright_ , Samael said, there but not really there, not with Gabriel to protect nem. _Just call for me if anything goes wrong._

Michael and Raphael were there, too, but they weren't the same as Samael.

"...Okay. I understand."

 _I'm starting the spell now_ , Michael said, to all of them at once. _Raphael, be ready._

 _Of course,_ was Raphael's immediate reply, and Gabriel waited to hear more. Ne could feel the faint presence of Michael's part of their trap, bright and distant. Whatever the Leviathan did, if they noticed it at all, ne couldn't see it happening.

 _I have it_ , Raphael said suddenly, the barest hint of strain in nir voice. A moment later, ne spoke again. _Gabriel - look out-_

"I'm watching." Gabriel was watching, as the beginnings of a spell mixed with the Grace that held Raphael's undeniable mark started arcing towards nem. Ne raised nir sword, prepared to defend nemself from the Leviathan if that was what it came to. Things were stirring in the dark, now that it was closer, things the brightness was making it easier to see-

Gabriel didn't shut nir senses off from the Empty. Ne didn't dare.

The spell nearly went shooting past but Gabriel caught it, caught it and held it the way ne was supposed to. It was Michael and Raphael, mixed in with the spell, and Gabriel poured in nir Grace the way Samael said was necessary for workings like this.

The extra power made it brighter, gleaming and powerful. Gabriel whispered words of Enochian to it, separate from the voice ne used to talk to nir siblings, and it vibrated out of nir grip. Gabriel knew that was supposed to happen, but ne couldn't suppress the note of panic in nir voice when ne cried out, "Samael!"

_It's alright, Gabriel, just do what you're told._

"I have! It's coming to you!" The thread of the spell that still lingered by nem was bright and almost as solid as Gabriel. It vibrated with energy, thin and strong.

The Leviathan knew something was up now. Gabriel could see them. They were moving, thrashing around, and definitely angry.

_Samael, do you have it?_

_Worry later, Michael, I'm concentrating_. Samael made a noise Gabriel did not like, and then- _There, your turn now._

The Leviathan looked furious, and if they had been able to get out of the Empty Gabriel wouldn't have liked nir chances. Nir Parent's power was holding them back, but they could still see Gabriel, they knew ne was there and who knew what they wanted to do with nem!

 _I have it!_ Michael shouted, triumphant. _Close in!_

Gabriel slashed nir sword through the nearest Leviathan before ne could let nemself feel fear.

The surrounding ones backed away, not sure what to do with this, with their dead kin before them. They gave Gabriel enough room to come crashing through the barrier, blade a silver flame and the spell brandished before them, to keep them on the other side of the line.

They seemed to decide as one that Gabriel wasn't enough to defeat all of them.

The Leviathan rushed forward. Gabriel showed them the power of an archangel's Grace.

Ne could feel the words of the spell rushing through them. Samael was shouting, voice taking up all the space in Gabriel. Ne added nir own voice to it, hearing Raphael and Michael do the same. The Leviathan cringed back, under the power of the spell and the confusion of this new threat. Gabriel's fear was replaced with a heady sense of triumph. They could do this - they may as well have already won!

Gabriel lunged forward when nir three siblings did. Nir blade hit one of the Leviathan dead on the mark. It hissed in its dying throes, and Gabriel twisted nir blade, the spell slotting into place as Purgatory did the same around the Leviathan.

Gabriel hurried backwards, so as not to be awkwardly trapped in the 'walls' of the realm. Ne could hear Samael shouting victory, Raphael's quiet relief, Michael's good humor in the face of Samael's exuberance.

Gabriel took off with the easy grace of long practice, intending to join Samael, and met nem halfway. Samael swung nem around in delight, and Gabriel sheathed nir blade before someone accidentally got stabbed.

"You did wonderfully," Samael enthused. "I told you it would be alright!"

"I said that first," Gabriel reminded nem. "You panicked and said I was too small."

"You are too small, that's why I'm proud of you." Samael tried to hide Gabriel in nir wings again, wrapping them around nem. Gabriel hugged Samael back, nir sibling's delight rubbing off on nem.

"We did it!" Raphael caught up to them, and Samael let Gabriel go so ne could pounce on Raphael and get hugged again.

"Well done." Michael's voice was soft, and when Gabriel turned, the eldest was leaning into Samael's embrace. The brighter colors at the tip of nir wings was brighter than Gabriel had ever seen it.

"Can I tell Them?" Gabriel pleaded, alight with everyone's jubilance. Ne shot off as soon as Samael nodded, towards nir Parent's steady, pleased presence.

They'd _won._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment please! There will hopefully be more art for the next chapter...


	3. Siblinghood: Better Than Being A Superhero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title is a paraphrase of a quote by Marc Brown (whoever the hell that is). 
> 
> Cuteness ahead, because guess what, it's time for more angels (hence the title)! Gabriel just loves 'em all so much.

    Knowing how much more power nir Parent suddenly had at Their disposal, Gabriel really shouldn’t have been surprised when the first thing They did was make another angel.

“I was never  _ that _ small,” Gabriel protested, staring in fascination at Uriel. Uriel stared back. Ne seemed grumpy, but that might have been because Michael was holding nem and Michael had never quite worked out how to properly hold smaller angels.

“Of course you were,” Samael said. “You just couldn’t see how small you were.”

“Why isn’t Uriel an archangel too?” Raphael questioned.

Michael shrugged. “Ask Parent. They decided four was enough, I would assume.”

Gabriel reached up. “Can I hold nem?”

Michael handed Uriel over with evident relief. Uriel squirmed as Gabriel hugged nem close, stroking nir wings both in an attempt to calm nem and in curiosity at the dark color.

“Yours or mine?” Samael asked Michael, leaning over Raphael to get closer.

“Can’t we stop with dividing them up between us two?” Michael sighed in exasperation. “You’ve turned this into a competition. Let Raphael have nem.”

“Really?” Raphael burst out, surprise evident. “But I can’t-”

“You’ll do fine,” Michael said. “It isn’t like I have much else to teach you that you couldn’t figure out on your own.”

Gabriel could feel Raphael’s pleasure at being asked rubbing up against nem. “You take Uriel, if you’re going to be responsible for nem,” ne said, picking up Uriel again to hand nem over (to the latter’s displeasure). 

“C’mon, let’s leave these responsible ones and go have fun.” Samael pulled Gabriel away. “Let’s see how you’ve done with illusions so far.”

“I bet I could do better than you,” Gabriel said, which was a blatant lie even  _ ne  _ didn’t believe, but it made Samael laugh.

“Oh, really?”

“I bet I could make  _ anything. _ ”

Samael smiled fondly. “Go ahead, then,” ne said. “Astonish me.”

* * *

 

“It’s your turn, Gabriel.”

Gabriel stared at tiny Remiel with trepidation. “Are you sure?”

“Go ahead,” Samael said encouragingly. “You can’t do any worse than Raphael.  _ Hey!” _

__ Michael smacked Samael with one wing without losing nir composure. “You’ll do fine,” ne said to Gabriel, handing over Remiel, who stared up at Gabriel in silent fascination. “It’s not that hard.”

Gabriel held Remiel very carefully. Ne wasn’t sure what to do with an angel that ne was, abruptly,  _ responsible  _ for. 

“Hey, Michael,” Samael said, mischief creeping into nir tone.

“...Yes?”

“Race you!” Samael’s wing smacked Michael back as ne took off in a flurry of feathers. Michael started, but Gabriel caught a tinge of amusement before Michael shot off after the younger archangel.

“So,” Gabriel said to Remiel, “they do that a lot, so get used to it. They like each other better than anybody else. But Samael likes me best, too, so don’t get any ideas.”

“Can I race?” Remiel asked.

“Can you  _ fly? _ ”

Remiel looked confused. Nir wings shuffled without any real purpose in the movement. “I don’t...think so?”

“Okay,” Gabriel said. “That’s my first job, then.”

Remiel beamed at nem, straggly fledgling wings spreading wide. 

Gabriel grinned back. This would be easier than ne had expected.

“Step one,” ne said. “I’ll show you what flying’s  _ really  _ like.”

Remiel shrieked as Gabriel took off, and clung tight. Heaven flashed by them, Gabriel taking corners as sharply as ne could - which was  _ very.  _ Ne had had a lot of practice. 

“ _ Again, _ ” Remiel demanded when Gabriel settled to a stop. 

“You try first,” Gabriel said. “Want me to put you down?”

“Noo, I want to fly again!”

Gabriel poked one of Remiel’s wings. “You’ve got your own. Try it once, then I’ll take you up again.” 

Remiel looked up at nem, the absolute picture of droopy disappointment. 

“No.”

Remiel kept staring.

“Oh, fine,” Gabriel said. “One more time.”

* * *

 

It was not just one more time.

Remiel  _ did  _ eventually get the hang of flying (after Gabriel tossed nem up repeatedly and left nem to figure it out, the way Samael had taught nem, though of course ne’d caught Remiel before anything happened). Ne also took to tagging along whenever Gabriel did anything, which always ended up with Remiel clambering up nem in an attempt to be held while whoever Gabriel was talking to did their best to pretend they weren’t endlessly amused.

By the time Remiel got over nir clingy phase, Gabriel had ended up with another fledgling (which, initially, had  _ not  _ helped with the clinginess). Raguel and Saraquel had gone to Michael and Samael respectively, and Raphael had called dibs on Khamael before ne even  _ existed,  _ which meant that when Haniel was Created it was Gabriel’s turn again.

Haniel was so quiet it was almost off-putting. Ne caught on fast, though, and soon enough ne was fast enough to keep up with Remiel, if not Gabriel nemself. 

Gabriel was reluctant (as ne had been with Remiel) to begin the whole ‘fighting’ regimen, which was really the only thing ne had to teach them, aside from basic facts about angels that they weren’t old enough to already know. But even with the Leviathan in Purgatory, ne still remembered them; and Gabriel shuddered at the idea that there was even the faintest possibility of the Leviathan escaping and finding either of nir fledglings untrained.

So Gabriel showed Haniel how to use nir sword, and Remiel usually tagged along to offer tips, and if they were lucky Raphael or even Samael would show up with some of their fledglings and they’d put together a competition to encourage the younger ones.

(It only ended badly once or twice, which Gabriel thought was a fairly good record, considering they were throwing together kids who hadn’t yet figured out which end of the sword they were meant to hold. And luckily both times everything was fixed up, even if Raphael did berate them the whole time ne was patching up the fledglings). 

Haniel was a sweetheart, despite nir quietness, and picked up swordfighting even quicker than ne’d figured out how nir wings worked. Gabriel had caught nem and Remiel play-fighting more than once and privately cooed over it (and maybe once or twice in public, just to embarrass them). Their family was getting bigger and bigger - it was lucky that everybody got along. 

And whatever either of the two littler ones said, Gabriel’s loving teasing definitely didn’t count as not getting along. Gabriel knew they loved nem anyway, or else neither would have put up with it for so long.

By the time Haniel was old enough that Gabriel didn’t have anything left to teach nem, there were enough new fledglings that all the archangels had been given a new one; and so had all the younger angels who were old enough for that now.

“Need a hand?” Gabriel teased, Azrael patiently standing at nir side while Remiel struggled to keep Selaphiel still. 

“Absolutely not,” Remiel said. “I can manage this  _ perfectly  _ well on my own  _ my wings are not a toy, Selaphiel. _ ”

Gabriel did nir ‘best’ to hide nir amusement at Remiel’s rambunctious charge. 

“You’re enjoying this,” Remiel accused.

“I suggest you learn to see it as funny,” Gabriel replied. “Helps to keep yourself going.”

“I’m not funny,” Azrael said, like ne thought Gabriel was implying something.

“You’re hilarious,” Gabriel told nem. “You’re just too little to understand it yet.” 

“I am not!”

“Sure you are.” Gabriel didn’t even have to look before ne caught Selaphiel by the metaphorical scruff as ne made a break for it. “You know what wouldn’t be funny? If you helped me keep this one distracted to give Remiel a rest.”

“Oh, would you?” Remiel sighed. “Thank you, I-”

“You’re new to this.” Gabriel brushed nir wing along Remiel’s comfortingly. “Nobody’s expecting you to know everything. And Selaphiel seems to have the hang of flying, so you’ve done that much right.” 

“Let  _ go, _ ” Selaphiel whined. “I wanna  _ go. _ ”

“Go where?” Gabriel questioned, hefting Selaphiel up into a more secure grip. “If there’s anything interesting to see, you’ve probably already seen it.” Ne gestured for Remiel to go. “Go ahead and do what you like, I’ll cope.”

Remiel lingered. “Are you sure...?”

“I raised  _ you  _ without any trouble. Selaphiel can’t be any worse.”

Remiel sputtered, while Azrael stifled a burst of delight and Selaphiel stilled, looking up at Gabriel.

“I wasn’t  _ that  _ bad-” Remiel began.

“What did Remiel do?” Selaphiel asked, louder.

“If I tell you, will you stay still?”

Selaphiel considered the deal for a moment. “Yes.”

“ _ Gabriel, _ ” Remiel protested.

“If it works...” Gabriel made a shooing motion. “ _ Go.  _ I’ll be sure not to destroy your reputation while you rest.”

Remiel looked doubtful, but nir wings spread and ne darted off. Both fledglings were looking up at Gabriel expectantly.

“So,” Gabriel said. “Silly stuff first, or embarrassing stuff?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, please! I hope you like the art (left to right; Selaphiel, Remiel, Gabriel, Haniel, Azrael).


	4. The Universe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...so no comments on the last chapter. I know it was a little short, so I've tried to make this one a bit longer while saving up material so I still have something you guys haven't seen yet to go off of.
> 
> Anyway, stuff happening! I'm trying to lead up gradually to Earth because it's more difficult than you'd think to condense billions of years of creation into a chapter or two. I feel like I should be giving you a whole book on this. I'm probably getting stuff wrong, but whatever, I'm combining religion and science. I think I'm allowed a few unreasonable stretches.

Gabriel had worried, a few times, that nir Parent might make enough angels that ne would start to lose track of names, but after Selaphiel, They seemed to move Their attention to other things.

Very, very interesting other things.

"I don't get it," Gabriel said, peering at the spiral-ish thing in front of nem.

"You'll see once it's done," They said, carefully moving it to the side to make more space in front of Them. Raphael was hovering on the fringes of the 'workroom', not as willing to investigate and risk rudeness as Gabriel was.

"What's it called?"

"I haven't named it yet."

Gabriel watched as nir Parent caused bright sparks to flame into being. The whole thing was made up of so many tiny pieces, a little cloud of color. Ne thought it was beautiful.

"Where is it going to go?" Raphael scooted a little closer. "In Heaven?"

"No, I don't think so," They said idly, concentrating on the cloud-thing.

What else was there? The Empty was still...well, empty, having contained the ever-hungry Leviathan for so long. And Purgatory couldn't have been an option - the new thing would just get eaten.

"It looks nice," Raphael offered.

"Thank you," They said warmly.

"I was going to say that," Gabriel muttered.

They laughed, a low rumble of amusement. "It's fine, Gabriel. I appreciate the sentiment even if I've already heard it from someone else."

Unsatisfied, Gabriel wiggled under nir Parent's arm and into the curve of Their lap. They didn't attempt to remove nem, just patted nir nearest wing and kept working.

"Don't you have to watch Azrael?" Raphael huffed.

"Azrael's big enough to take care of nemself," Gabriel said, watching nir Parent's work in fascination. "You can go check on nem if you're worried."

Raphael didn't say anything, but ne didn't leave either. Both of them drifted into silence as They led something to take shape in the workroom.

Gabriel didn't know what it was supposed to do, but ne was sure it would lead to something great.

* * *

Gabriel knew about the new realm as soon as it was Created, of course. It slid into place neatly, not quite directly in between Purgatory and Heaven, and they weren't allowed inside.

"But whyy," Azrael whined, as Gabriel was pulling nem away. _Again._

"Because They said so," Gabriel reminded nem. "It's not done, Azrael."

"I still want to see," ne mumbled rebelliously.

"I'll make you a deal, then - I'll show you around once it's really finished, even if you're still not allowed."

"Really?" The smaller angel perked up instantly.

"As long as you stay away until then," Gabriel warned. "Deal?"

"Deal!"

"What have you promised Azrael this time?" Haniel asked, drifting up alongside Gabriel and the now very eager Azrael.

"Secret," Azrael said, hushed, and clung to Gabriel, nearly hidden by nir tertiary wing. Gabriel curled it close around Azrael, prompting a pleased noise.

"At least you're having fun," Haniel said, amused. Ne hadn't been given a fledgling of nir own. Gabriel was sure nir Parent would make more angels at some point, but Haniel didn't seem overly disappointed.

"We were talking about the Universe," Gabriel told nem. "Azrael's a little too interested."

"Oh, ne's still young."

"Nobody said I was upset. Don't go assuming," Gabriel said teasingly. "Aren't you a little interested?"

"Of course." Haniel slipped into exaggerated distress, leaning against Gabriel. "If only I had an older sibling who would tell me all about it if I asked."

"I think it's absurd that you'd expect me to just break the rules, Haniel, I'm supposed to be setting a good example!" Gabriel protested theatrically (long before he'd find out what theatrical meant).

Haniel just laughed at nem. Snarky little fledgling. Gabriel used nir larger wing to sweep nem around into a hug, ruffling Haniel's feathers into disorder.

"Gabriel!"

"Nope. There has to be consequences for this kind of silly talk."

Haniel managed to ruffle nir feathers in retaliation as ne wiggled out of Gabriel's hold. "You're being silly."

"You just described at least half of my job."

"One would think an archangel would at least attempt to do it, then."

"Oh, is that how this is going? Come here, you little-"

Haniel shrieked with laughter, and sped off. Gabriel grabbed Azrael to keep an eye on nem and darted after Haniel.

Nir siblings were so cute sometimes.

* * *

"What did you want to show me?"

"Don't act like you're so busy," Samael said. "Can't I just want to see you for a little while? You're with Azrael more."

"Azrael needs at least _two_ archangels to keep nem out of trouble," Gabriel informed Samael. "And you said you wanted to show me something."

"Fair enough." Samael gestured. "Come here."

Gabriel followed, and was shoved without warning into the Universe.

"Samael!"

"Like you weren't going to do this yourself," Samael scoffed, following nem in. "Isn't it interesting?"

It wasn't as big as Heaven, was Gabriel's immediate opinion. But it _was_ interesting. It was full of little bits and pieces that were just scattered around, three kinds slotting together with each other and slowly forming something bigger - on their own.

Samael's wings brushed them out of the way as ne soared up, and Gabriel scattered more of them in nir wake as ne followed nir older sibling. There wasn't anywhere to go, except for back to Heaven - the Universe wasn't very big yet.

"What do you think it's going to make?" Gabriel called after nem.

"Something great," Samael replied. "Something new."

"Something," nir Parent interrupted severely, and Gabriel froze, "that is not going to be finished easily if no one listens."

Nir Parent pulled Gabriel out by the scruff, and deposited nem in the workroom.

"We were only playing," Samael said, slightly pleadingly, when They set nem down as well.

"Playing is well and good, but that Universe needs to be left alone if it's going to develop properly," They sighed. "I asked you to leave it alone for a reason."

"...I'm sorry," Samael said, after a moment. "I just wanted to show Gabriel. I thought it was nice."

"It's alright. Easily fixable." Their words made Samael's ruffled feathers smooth out. "But I expect both of you to stay out of it."

"I promise," Gabriel said in a small voice. Ne hadn't meant to upset Them. Samael used one wing to tuck Gabriel into nir side, in a habitual move.

"I'm not angry." Nir Parent said. "But I want to know that you understand."

Gabriel nodded, and Samael squeezed nem closer reassuringly.

"Go and entertain yourselves," They said, with a certain finality, and both of them are shooed out of the workroom.

"Sorry," Samael muttered again, to Gabriel. "I didn't mean for you to get in trouble."

"I don't mind."

"You're such a sweetheart," Samael said fondly, squeezing Gabriel close one last time before letting nem go. "I've no idea where you get it from. C'mon, let's go find something else to do."

* * *

They may have not been allowed in, but Gabriel was perfectly capable of observing what was going on in the Universe while remaining in Heaven.

The little bits and pieces kept bonding together in weird shapes and making slightly bigger things, which in turn made other slightly bigger things, and meanwhile the Universe just kept expanding. Gabriel had thought nir Parent was overseeing it all, keeping it going, and so was reasonably shocked when They produced another sibling.

Kepharel went to Michael, so Gabriel didn't see much of nem unless ne dropped in to watch Michael teach the newest family member. And Michael was still, well, Michael, and a little intimidating. So Gabriel asked Remiel about nem, and Remiel, though confused, told nem.

Besides, Kepharel would grow up eventually, and Gabriel would be able to talk with nem then. It wasn't as if Gabriel was suffering from a lack of company.

Nir Parent Created angels sporadically, as if meaning to do it continuously but distracted by whatever upkeep the burgeoning Universe required. It had to be on purpose, of course, given Who was responsible for all this Creation. Gabriel, in the back of nir thoughts, wondered at the sporadicness of it.

The Universe, slowly, began to take the shape of the thing that nir Parent had been working on. Piece by piece, things slotted together and reacted in a way that was not quite like anything Gabriel had seen before.

Ne could do it nemself, once ne had seen it happen naturally - or by way of nir Parent's power - but ne still couldn't interfere, and ne couldn't quite replicate what was going on with little manufactured pieces of nir own, could never quite make them real like nir Parent's creation. There was always an inherent flaw in the base makeup of it, something not-quite-right with the smallest pieces.

Gabriel practiced, when ne wasn't in the company of others, until ne had something that was as close as ne was ever going to get, and that was satisfying. To anyone lesser than nemself, ne thought it would look quite real.

Ne didn't have words to describe what ne was making, not yet, but ne would eventually. Nir Parent named everything, and Gabriel didn't know if these things had a name yet, but ne would be told when ne needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, please! Tell me what you think!


	5. Reflection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, an update! I realized I wasn't giving Gabriel as much time as ne should have with the other angels, so this is mostly to rectify that. Also, more cuteness with the younger guys!
> 
> And, for your entertainment, some scenes with their Dad feat. Gabriel as the annoying little kid who's just trying to have fun.

"I still don't understand how it works," Remiel said, watching Gabriel take his own fakes apart and put them back together to show nem all the little interlocking pieces.

"Do you want me to make them bigger?"

"No, I understand how they fit together. I just don't see how it's meant to work."

"Samael ignited some of the stars," Gabriel pointed out. "Just because you don't see what our Parent is doing, doesn't mean they aren't doing anything."

"Haven't you done anything?"

Gabriel internally preened, pride making nir wings unfurl a little further. "I made a few," ne said, attempting nonchalance. "With Samael's help. Stars are tricky."

"Which ones are the stars?"

Gabriel conjured up the smallest pieces and threw them together, creating the desired reaction, if on a far smaller scale. "These. I think Samael made some of them larger than even Michael."

Remiel looked suitably awed. "Really? That big?"

"I think it was meant to irritate Michael," Gabriel confided. Michael had retaliated by doing nir best to one-up Samael, though Michael's stars tended to be rather uniform and predictable. Samael's tended towards chaos, more often than not.

Gabriel liked making chaotic stars, stars that drew more stuff towards them and engendered Creation. Ne was pretty sure nir Parent approved, because They hadn't done anything to stop it and had complimented Gabriel's first one.

Most of the stars, though, They allowed Samael to make. Samael delighted in it, Creating behemoths with nir Parent's materials that were nearly as bright as angels and larger than most.

Gabriel loved watching Samael work, partly for the joy that rubbed off on nem from nir sibling and partly for the stars themselves, because they were beautiful.

"I wish I could see," Remiel said, slightly wistfully.

"I think it's all a little...fragile," Gabriel said. Ne thought no such thing, but ne _did_ want to make Remiel feel better. Even Gabriel wasn't allowed in unless ne was helping Them with putting something together, and those times seemed more like a favor to the four archangels than a real need for their aid. Still, ne added, "I'm sure you'll get to go inside soon."

Remiel didn't seem particularly assured. Gabriel let nem take the star and examine it curiously, carefully.

"I would like that," Remiel said, and broke it apart to look at the components again.

* * *

"Parent," Gabriel said, "how does it work? It's not like Heaven at all."

"That's the point," nir Parent said gently. "To make something different."

"But how?" Gabriel persisted. "I felt different when Samael pushed me into the Universe."

Nir Parent gestured for Gabriel to come closer. Gabriel did so eagerly, wings propelling nem there a little quicker.

"The Universe is different," They said. "And because it is different, you manifest in it differently than you do in Heaven."

"I'm still me," Gabriel said, partly to confirm.

"Yes, of course."

"So..." Gabriel tilted nir head. "What was I like?" Ne hadn't been in the Universe long enough to properly notice it.

"Very similar to a star."

Gabriel beamed. "What kind of star? Like Samael's? I like nir stars, they're so big. Even bigger than Michael."

Nir Parent laughed. "Not quite like Samael's. I say a star because you have light and heat, like them."

"...Heat?"

"Yes, and light. Like stars do. Would you like me to explain?"

"Yes."

Gabriel moved, by increments, onto nir Parent's lap as They talked, patiently walking nem through what 'heat' was and why stars generated it. 'Light' was easier to grasp - Gabriel could just look at what Samael did and think _oh, that's light._ It was amazing how it worked, especially how far away it could be seen.

Gabriel wasn't sure if ne was really understanding what They meant by 'heat', but ne thought it made sense, in an odd sort of way. It was all so _new._

Then again, that was probably the point.

Gabriel liked hanging around nir Parent's workroom. There was usually at least one other archangel in there already - Gabriel had entered and seen Michael sitting silently by Their side, or Samael cheerfully mimicking whatever They were making, or Raphael talking to Them about some subject or another.

At least half of nir reasons were just because Gabriel liked Them (of course ne did - everyone did) but, well, Gabriel was allowed to be biased when it was nir _Parent._

Nir Parent's workroom was ever-changing, depending on what They needed it to be for Their work. When Gabriel entered, it featured a series of stands holding up little spheres of stuff that probably only properly existed in the Universe.

One of them, Gabriel could tell was a star, but the other ten were colder and darker and very unfamiliar.

Gabriel crept closer to investigate, nir Parent working on a tiny one at the very end of the line, furthest from the star. The star was warm even in Heaven, which Gabriel liked. There was a very small sphere close to the star, but they got larger the farther away they got, until the very big one that looked barely half as solid as any of the first five.

'Solid' was mostly a new thing, like heat, but They had never corrected Gabriel, so ne probably had it right.

The sphere-things got smaller again until the tiny one They appeared to be piecing together, which was the last one. Unless They were planning on adding more.

Gabriel looked at the smaller ones curiously. Ne couldn't tell what they were supposed to be made out of.

"Don't touch that, Gabriel," They said, and Gabriel froze in the act of reaching for one of the tiniest ones. "It's fragile."

"...What is it made out of?"

"Rock, mostly."

 _Rock?_ Gabriel puzzled over the new word, scooting down the line of spheres towards nir Parent. "What does it do?"

"Nothing, yet. It's only meant to create a capacity for something."

"What's that one made of?" Gabriel pointed at the largest.

"Just gas. Not nearly as solid."

So ne _had_ gotten it right. Gabriel tentatively reached out towards the rings around the other 'gas' one.

_"Gabriel."_

Bad idea.

Nir Parent gathered Gabriel close, one arm slung around nem to keep nem still. "'Fragile' means it will _break_ if you touch it," They said, chastisingly. "I would rather that didn't happen."

Gabriel twisted around to try and keep the new things in nir sight. "I won't," ne promised. They did not seem entirely convinced.

Gabriel _did_ try to keep still as nir Parent worked. Ne watched raptly as They added details ne didn't entirely understand, but thought looked nice.

"What does that one do?" ne asked.

"Balance," They replied distractedly, fiddling with the size of the last one and continually shrinking it down, apparently not satisfied.

"Balance of what?"

Nir Parent gestured. The stands moved around, assuming various positions with the star at the center of the group. "All of these affect each other in very specific ways," They explained. "If it's not balanced correctly, this system will fall apart."

"But You can just make it work like You want it to," Gabriel said, puzzled. "Can't You?"

"I could," They agreed. "But what would be the point in that?"

"...I don't understand."

"I Created a universe that works in very specific ways," They said. "What would the point have been in working out all the rules beforehand if I never obeyed them myself?"

"Oh!"

"You see?"

"Yes." Gabriel wiggled around to get a better view, wings puffed up in excitement. "So what's wrong with it?"

"I'm...working on that," They sighed. "Perhaps I'm looking at the wrong part."

Gabriel helpfully reached out to pull one of the stands closer. It slid out of nir reach without nir Parent visibly doing anything. They brought a different one closer as Gabriel pouted.

They muttered something about gravity, which made no sense. "Perhaps..." They reached out and vanished one of the stands, reducing the sphere it held to rubble in the same movement.

Gabriel started at the sudden change, not expecting it. The other nine and the star remained untouched.

Nir Parent scattered the remaining chunks of 'rock', and they spread out on some unspoken command, forming a loose circle around the star.

"Hmm," They said, evidently still not satisfied. "A little more adjustment, I think."

Gabriel settled in to watch until They were done.

* * *

"It doesn't look very interesting," Remiel said.

 _"Remiel!"_ Haniel looked aghast.

"I like it," Azrael decided.

"Don't get any ideas," Gabriel warned nem, moving closer so ne could grab Azrael just in case.

"I'm _not!_ I just said I liked it!"

"It's not done yet, is it?" Remiel asked. Almost as one, the four of them looked down into the Universe.

"I don't know," Gabriel said. "I don't believe so."

"Is there really a way to know for sure?" Haniel looked doubtful. Nir wings were curled close around nem.

"I saw the _Plan_ for this..." Or a brief construct of what it might look like, at least.

"What does it _do?"_ Azrael looked puzzled.

"What do any of _us_ do?"

Haniel looked thoughtful. Azrael just looked insulted.

"I _do_ stuff," Azrael said. "I - I do stuff with you all the time."

"Believe me, I haven't forgotten." Gabriel patted Azrael reassuringly. Azrael looked unsure whether ne was supposed to take that as a compliment or not.

"I suppose," Haniel said, "the point is that we'll find out eventually, in both cases." Ne looked at Gabriel expectantly.

"What," Gabriel said, "do you think _I_ have the answers? If you're not confident in yours, think of a better one."

"You _do_ talk to our Parent," Remiel pointed out.

"They tell me less than you'd think." But more than any of the three of them had ever been told, it was true.

For some reason, Remiel's words stuck with Gabriel.

"Remiel," ne said, when the conversation of the Universe had been half-forgotten. "Are you upset that They never speak to you?"

"Why do you ask?" It was not the answer Gabriel was looking for.

"I realized, I suppose, that you'd never so much as heard from Them," Gabriel explained, half apologetically. "It doesn't bother you?" Gabriel knew _ne_ would be pretty upset if They never talked to nem.

"I never thought about it," Remiel said. "I always had you." Ne frowned thoughtfully while Gabriel temporarily stopped functioning properly. "Did They say something?"

"No," Gabriel managed. "No, I was just - thinking." Ne swept Remiel into a hug, drawing a squeak of protest from nem.

"What's _this_ for?"

"No reason," Gabriel said, wings curled around Remiel. "I just love you, is all."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awwww.
> 
> Comment, please!


	6. Doubt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, in this chapter: You get a fledgling! You get a fledgling! Everybody gets more fledglings!
> 
> Haha, seriously, how could I resist putting Gabriel in charge of more tiny ones? Ne just loves kids so much, guys.
> 
> And a new chapter, at long last! I'm trying to develop this a little faster, but I'm also trying to figure out how I'm gonna get in the Creation of all these fuckin' angels before we manage to get to Earth. Time doesn't exist yet but there's not enough of it.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy! I was listening to Prince of Egypt on repeat while I wrote this, so it's probably religiously appropriate.

"Hey. Hey. Raphael," Gabriel said, again.

Raphael made a frustrated noise and finally turned to pay attention to nem. _"What,_ Gabriel?"

"Why doesn't Parent ever talk to anybody else?"

Raphael looked taken aback, surprise making nir feathers flare. "Why in Their name would you ask _that?"_

"I was curious."

"Well, _I_ don't know. Because we're the oldest, maybe."

"Remiel's _almost_ as old as me," Gabriel protested. "And what about Uriel, then?"

"It was just a guess."

"Was it because of me?" Honestly, Gabriel didn't see any other reason.

 _"What?_ No, Gabriel, of _course_ not." Raphael curled one wing protectively around nem. "Who told you that?"

"Nobody. I just thought - I was the last." The last angel They had talked to.

"I doubt you'll _stay_ the last. Parent's just busy, Gabriel. Don't worry so much."

Gabriel tugged on some of nir feathers absentmindedly, wings awkwardly squished between nemself and Raphael's wings. "It's not fair."

"For your fledglings?" Raphael hesitated. "I'm sure They'll get around to it."

"Promise?"

"I can't speak for Them, Gabriel."

"Well," Gabriel said, put out, "do you promise to talk to them and stuff if I'm ever too busy?"

"I'd like to see a world in which you're ever too busy for any of them," Raphael laughed.

"Promise."

"Okay, I promise."

Despite Raphael's reassurances, Gabriel didn't feel like ne had really gotten an answer.

* * *

"Samael," Gabriel said, and Samael stopped in the middle of showing Gabriel a new trick ne had perfected and looked at nem quizzically. "Why does Parent only talk to us?"

Samael dropped the working ne had been in the middle of in surprise. "Because we're the most important," ne said. "Why do you ask?"

Gabriel made a vague gesture. "How do you know?"

"Because it is so," Samael said, _incredibly unhelpfully._ "Gabriel, why do you want to know?"

Gabriel had to take a moment to decide how to reply. "Remiel isn't worth less than me," he said at length, and Samael snorted.

"Oh, this is about your _fledglings."_

"Yes, but - they aren't!" Gabriel didn't think it was funny.

"Our Parent decides who They speak to, Gabriel. I'm sure it wasn't meant as a slight against Remiel or anyone else." Samael meant it kindly, Gabriel was sure, but ne didn't have to sound so _patronizing._

Samael must have noticed that ne hadn't managed to solve Gabriel's problem, because ne shrugged and stepped back. "Why don't you ask Raphael?"

"I already did."

"Michael, then."

Gabriel hesitated. Asking _Michael_ seemed like a bit of a risk. Ne was always so...imposing. "Maybe."

Samael patted nem reassuringly. "Michael won't mind if you ask a question or two."

"I know."

"Come on," Samael said, "I bet you're not _still_ faster than me, you've been sitting around so often that you must have forgotten how to fly."

"I have not!"

"Let's see, then. Go on!" Samael laughed. "Prove me wrong."

* * *

Michael _didn't_ seem to mind, when Gabriel sought nem out (Samael having been soundly beaten in a race), but did seem incredibly puzzled.

"Because we are the most powerful," ne said. "Why do you ask?"

"It's nothing important," Gabriel said. "I was just wondering."

Ne still didn't feel like any of the answers fit. Gabriel got the feeling that nir siblings had been answering a different question than the one ne had been asking.

"Did you want anything else?"

"No." Gabriel hesitated, and then slipped a little closer. Michael was the one sibling ne never seemed to spend much time with. "What are you doing?"

"Only thinking," Michael said.

"About what?"

"Many things." Michael seemed a lot more comfortable with Gabriel now that the latter wasn't quite so little. "You've seen what our Parent has been working on."

There was a lot more than there had ever been when Gabriel was newer. "Samael showed me how to make my own copies."

"Of course ne did," Michael sighed. "Samael does anything They don't expressly forbid."

"Is that bad?"

Michael glanced down at Gabriel. "No," ne said, softening slightly. "Samael can be a little...irreverent."

"I don't think so," Gabriel disagreed. "Samael appreciates it, or else why would ne bother copying any of it?"

"There is something to be said," Michael replied, "for the rarity of a thing making it all the more valuable."

Gabriel didn't see the point of letting something be valuable if nobody got to appreciate it the way Samael did. At least copies made it easier to understand. Stars were too distant to study their component parts properly without getting closer - and only the four archangels were allowed inside the Universe.

"I guess," ne said.

"You disagree?"

"I'd rather something be cheap and easily given to others than valuable and restricted to a few," Gabriel told nem.

"Our Parent has Their reasons. And you still have your copies," Michael pointed out.

"Well, yes." It had seemed obvious to Gabriel that They would allow that much, at least.

"So it seems to have worked out in both of our favors."

"They must agree with both of us, then."

"They know far more than we give them credit for." Michael gently swept nir nearest wings around Gabriel, which was more affection in one movement than ne had ever shown the smaller angel before. "It may seem unfair to your fledglings, but it is not out of a lack of care. I can guarantee that."

Gabriel had glanced up at nem sharply at the mention of fledglings. Ne was beginning to think that Michael, too, had guessed far more about Gabriel's motive than Gabriel had meant to share.

"It was only a question."

"I know. But remember what I've said, Gabriel."

* * *

Nir Parent was working on something very small and fiddly and not very interesting, the next few times Gabriel visited, and They seemed very easily frustrated by it, so Gabriel spent more time with nir fledglings instead of hovering over Their shoulder. Ne didn't want to bother Them when They were occupied with something like that.

Remiel appeared to have forgotten about Gabriel's question, which wasn't really a big deal. Selaphiel had started trailing nem around, mostly (or so Gabriel believed) because Remiel had moved on to the more interesting tenets of swordplay and Selaphiel was fascinated, however much ne had initially been eager to escape Remiel's watch.

Remiel didn't have much left to teach. All the littlest angels seemed to have grown up while Gabriel wasn't paying attention. Even Azrael had moved beyond needing Gabriel to watch nem constantly.

Gabriel still _could_ play with them, of course, and ne got so caught up in doing so that ne nearly forgot that nir Parent could make more angels whenever They liked.

"Gabriel, Parent wants to talk to us."

"Really? What for?"

Raphael shrugged. "Michael just asked me to let you know."

Gabriel entered curious and left with three fledglings.

Given the pace at which angels had been created before, _this_ was practically a deluge of new ones. Gabriel was thrilled, even if three at once was a little much sometimes, but they were so _cute._

Asariel was quietly attentive, which made it easier to keep track of Maalik and Anael, since ne didn't need much watching. Maalik was very similar to Azrael, in a lot of ways, which made Gabriel long to turn nem over to Azrael's keeping (temporarily) and maybe teach Azrael a thing or two. Anael clung to Gabriel constantly, unwilling to go too far in case she missed some tidbit of knowledge.

There was so _much_ to teach them now. Gabriel taught them the things Raphael had taught nem, words for other angels and their realm and perfunctory, cautionary tales about the Leviathan that made even Maalik pause warily and made even Asariel cling to nem. Anael just looked up at nem, wide-eyed and already holding tight.

"Don't worry," Gabriel always reassured them. "The Leviathan are in Purgatory. They can't reach you here, I helped make sure of it."

"But what if-" Asariel always said.

"I'll always be here for you."

Gabriel left their sword-fighting lessons for later - caution was necessary, yes, but what was the point of making them too caught up in preparing for something that might never threaten them? - and taught them about the stars.

The Universe had expanded far beyond whatever size Gabriel had ever thought it might reach, Creation constantly blooming inside it. Ne had been there to watch its steady, constant progress, but to the three fledglings, it was all _new._

"Pay attention closely." Gabriel brought them as close to the edge of Creation as ne could without tempting them to wander inside. "Now, first, those bright ones are called stars..."

They watched raptly as Gabriel took apart stars in front of them, disassembled nir copies of the structure of the Universe and then built it back up until it matched what they could see of the actual thing.

Gabriel gave them wonder. Ne gave the three of them nir own awe of Creation, and appreciation for how it sprawled out in their view in a glittering wave of color and stars and galaxies.

Asariel listened carefully to everything Gabriel said. Maalik attempted, more than once, to copy Gabriel's copies (with mildly disastrous results). Anael took everything Gabriel offered nem and looked for more.

"Is that it?" Ne asked.

"That's all there is," Gabriel said. "I'll tell you when They start making more."

Everyone seemed to be running around after fledglings, be it Azrael gleefully chasing Joshua or a harried-looking Michael trying to corral nir own charges. Samael would swear on nir sword that one of nir own, Gadreel, was the exact opposite of Gabriel. Raphael just seemed generally exasperated with the three ne had been placed in charge of, which, having met them, Gabriel didn't blame nem for.

Gabriel's question lingered in the back of nir mind, and ne remembered it when ne looked at Asariel or Anael or Maalik. Ne hadn't seen nir Parent in a while, but ne could, if ne wanted to. Gabriel could enter nir Parent's workroom easily. Ne didn't know if any of the three - much less Michael's or Samael's or Raphael's or anybody else's - would ever so much as hear Their voice.

Ne didn't mention nir internal debate to them.

Anael trailed after Gabriel even when ne started letting go, looking for more about the Universe. Asariel talked with Iaoth (one of Michael's) and could barely be pried away from said conversations. Maalik, to Gabriel's complete lack of surprise, tended to hang out with Azrael a lot.

Gabriel collected them all back together before they could scatter too far in their respective directions, and taught them how to fight.

"You may never need this knowledge," ne said, "and you can go back to your friends when we're done, but you must know how."

Michael, ever the soldier, wouldn't have let Gabriel skip teaching them that even if Gabriel had wanted to.

Maalik took to it with more enthusiasm than Gabriel really encouraged. Asariel learned the bare necessities. Anael fell somewhere in between and slightly to the side, always doing something that ne had come up with nemself (that didn't always end up working, in which case Gabriel called Raphael and endured a well-meaning chastisement while Anael was patched up).

"If you kept a better eye on nem-"

"I'm fine," Anael protested, while Gabriel said,

"If I kept a closer eye on nem I wouldn't be able to tell what Maalik or Asariel would be off doing, and believe me, I don't think Maalik's quite big enough to be trusted with a sword on nir own."

Raphael grumbled, but ne came every time Gabriel asked.

"You really should be more careful," Gabriel said to Anael, more than once.

"But it's interesting," Anael replied, without fail.

"Then experiment carefully," Gabriel told nem, and then had nem put their sword away.

Gabriel didn't want to be a hypocrite and discourage nem, but as a fledgling nemself, ne had never had such constant trouble with injuries. Someday, Anael was going to get nemself into trouble with an attitude like that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, please! And what, no, that isn't foreshadowing (also, sorry if the pronouns at the end are confusing, but there's only one kind so far since gender hasn't been invented yet).


	7. I Can't Think Of A Good Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Raphael, hanging out! I was going to make this longer, but I figured a quicker update would be better.
> 
> I'm trying to get across that a lot of time is passing and lots of angels are being created without actually referencing time or going through and listing them all off...is it working?

"I think," Raphael said, "this may be a bit much."

Gabriel was laughing too hard to reply properly.

"This isn't funny!" Raphael dislodged the various fledglings that had attached themselves to nem. Gabriel caught a few and set them down carefully, still laughing; most of said fledglings could fly, they'd be fine, and Raphael wasn't trying to hurt anybody. "Why is it always _me_ who gets asked to watch angels when you're all too busy?"

"Because you're the most trustworthy?" Gabriel suggested.

"I only have so many eyes," Raphael grumbled. "They like you better, anyway, Dumah always complains when you aren't around."

Gabriel grinned down at the fledgling currently attached to nir primary feathers. "You like me best, huh?" Ne asked, playful tone disguising the genuine warmth that was spreading through nem at Raphael's pronouncement.

"You're more fun," Dumah said. "Raphael just talks."

"Excuse me," Raphael said indignantly.

"Oh, don't pretend it's not the truth," Gabriel teased. "Although maybe you could bore them into a stupor to get them to stop misbehaving-"

Raphael smacked the wrist of Gabriel's nearest wing lightly in chastisement. "Whatever happened to respect for your senior siblings?"

"I grew bigger."

Raphael scoffed. "And no less of a troublemaker."

"Aw," Gabriel said lightly, "you know you'd miss me."

"What kind of trouble?" Dumah asked.

"At least I know Raphael hasn't been telling you tales," Gabriel mused. "What kind of trouble do you _think_ I got into?"

"Lots?"

" _Well_ ," Gabriel said, "you're not _wrong,_ I suppose."

"You _suppose_ ," Raphael snorted.

"I didn't ask for commentary," Gabriel said in as dignified a manner as ne could manage, and swept Dumah into nir arms. "Come on, since Raphael's so tired of fledglings, let's go talk to someone more interesting."

"You're not funny," Raphael called after nem as Gabriel took off.

"So you say!" Gabriel called back, pausing to shoot Raphael a grin. Dumah giggled, which made the playful teasing worth it (even more so than it had already been). "Am I only allowed to come back when I've thought of better jokes?"

"Depends on the joke."

"I'd better think of something good, then."

* * *

The biggest of the fledglings (Michael's group; the most recent, at least - there had been so many lately Gabriel had begun to lose track of who had been raised by who) had just barely gone off on their metaphorical own when They Created more.

At this point, Gabriel was pretty sure They were trying to distract everybody (given that everyone was given at least a few), but ne was hardly complaining about Their method.

But Camael and Cassiel were a _handful._

Gabriel sometimes envied Raphael, despite their complaints that Naomi was a little boring, given that Naomi at least actually _listened_ to Raphael. Ne had needed to retrieve one or both of nir fledglings (repeatedly!) from either far corners of Heaven or to pull them off other fledglings ("Listen, I believe that Zachariah was being mean, but ne's Michael's problem, _and you shouldn't have been over here in the first place._ ").

Gabriel approved of causing trouble, of course, ne just wished it wasn't _nir_ responsibility to get them out of it all the time. And ne got the feeling that both of them together was more trouble than just one alone.

Not that ne was going to split them up, of course.

Cassiel, occasionally, could be persuaded to make Camael sit still and pay attention to what Gabriel was trying to teach them. Ne seemed less interested in trouble and more aggressively fair, until it came to Camael at least. Camael was the exception to fairness, probably because Cassiel just knew nem better.

Camael could be casually irreverent of Creation in a way that reminded Gabriel of Samael, or at least how Michael seemed to think of Samael. Cassiel seemed vaguely disinterested in a way that Gabriel was somewhat disappointed with - nearly everybody else ne'd mentored seemed to have adopted a healthy respect, if not love, for the stars, like nemself.

"And how _is_ Cassiel?" Nir Parent asked, when Gabriel mentioned this to Them.

"Fine, I would assume," Gabriel said. "Unless ne's gotten into more trouble while I haven't been looking."

"No more trouble than you ever got into," They said fondly.

"I was never that bad-" Gabriel protested, but ne had caught the amusement in nir Parent.

"You only ever had three siblings to annoy," They pointed out, smiling. "I'm sure you'll do fine with Cassiel. You sound fond of nem."

"Well, of course." Gabriel couldn't imagine not liking a fledgling (then again, some of Michael's...)

"How well do you think they would do in the Universe?"

Gabriel considered the question. "The worst Cassiel might do would be to nemself, if ne got too close to something dangerous," ne said.

"And any of your other fledglings?"

Any of them? "Most of them are big enough to be respectful."

Nir Parent nodded, as if that had settled something for Them. Their workroom was cluttered with bits and pieces of projects Gabriel couldn't begin to imagine.

"I want you to take Remiel into the Universe," They said.

Gabriel stared. "Really?"

"A slow introduction would be best," They replied, "or else it might get crowded, if you took all of them at once. Things are moving slowly at the moment, and I don't have anything planned that will be ready anytime soon. Now is best."

Gabriel puzzled over some of the references to 'now' or 'soon', but ne grinned up at Them. "Azrael will be pleased, when it's nir turn."

"I'm sure."

"Oh, but-" The fledglings. "Camael and Cassiel-"

"Can surely take care of themselves for a little while," They said. "Or perhaps Raphael can watch them again."

"I'm not sure Raphael will _want_ to." Nir Parent only knew what the two rambunctious fledglings might be doing to someone who was used to Naomi and Sachael.

Nir Parent smiled, as if They could tell what Gabriel was thinking. Probably They did know, but Gabriel didn't mind.

"You had better go find them, then, before Raphael runs out of patience," They said.

Gabriel grinned again and took off like a shot, "Goodbye!" tossed over nir shoulder.

* * *

"Wow," Remiel said softly, when Gabriel led nem inside for the first time.

Gabriel had chosen a good spot. Stars whirled around them, and their wings made the cloud of gas drift into different shapes, though it wasn't very easily moved. The colorful stuff towered over their heads, dwarfing even the stars.

"It never looked this big from Heaven," Remiel said.

"There's more."

"There's _more_ ," Remiel repeated, happiness making nir wings fluff up in pleasure. "I want to see _all_ of it."

"Well," Gabriel said, "you couldn't ask for a better guide."

Ne pulled Remiel away from the gas pillars and to a high vantage point, drifting at the edges of Creation with all of sprawled out underneath them. It was a beautiful view, even better than the one ne got looking down from Heaven.

"Pick anywhere," Gabriel said, "and we'll go there."

Remiel surveyed it all, practically vibrating from excitement. Gabriel could tell ne was struggling not to shout out nir eagerness. Ne waited patiently for Remiel to choose, amusement curling through nem at the latter's excitement.

"There," Remiel said, pointing to a galaxy that exploded outwards from one central point. "That one."

"As you wish," Gabriel said teasingly, and then, "race you there!"

* * *

Haniel gazed wide-eyed at everything and let Gabriel tug her around and chatter away about what ne liked best. Ne said nothing until Gabriel asked,

"What do you think?"

Haniel turned and pressed nemself against Gabriel, turning away from the Universe. "There's so _much_ of it," ne said, wings pulling in close to shield nem.

"No need to take it all in at once. Here, let's just pick one spot and stay there." Gabriel led nem to a smallish nebula that only flared out in a few colors. Haniel stayed curled under Gabriel's wing, peering out at the Universe between a few feathers.

"I'm sorry," ne said after a moment.

"Don't be," Gabriel said. "I know better than anyone how different it is up close."

"It's wonderful," Haniel said, "just-"

"Overwhelming?"

"Yes."

"I'm sure They won't mind," Gabriel said, reassuringly smoothing down Haniel's feathers. "We belong in Heaven. There's nothing to blame you for just for being uncomfortable outside of it."

"I know," Haniel said unconvincingly, pressing nemself into Gabriel's side.

"As long as you do."

* * *

Azrael, fulfilling every single one of Gabriel's expectations, darted off and got lost and had to sheepishly (but unrepentantly) find nir way back to Gabriel.

At least ne hadn't broken anything. Gabriel would have been hard-pressed to explain that to nir Parent.

The rest of them were, at least, marginally less disastrous. Anael was the only other one who went shooting off and got lost, but ne was making so much excited noise that Gabriel found nem easily. Cassiel seemed equally fascinated, but at least deigned to remain relatively close to Gabriel.

Gabriel only worried over Asariel, who was entirely reluctant to have much to do with the Universe except from a distance. Ne never changed their mind no matter what Gabriel showed them. It was distinctly odd, but Gabriel didn't want to force nem, and so eventually backed off.

It wasn't that bad, really, just out of the norm. Gabriel liked to think that ne had the ability to share nir own love for the Universe, but perhaps it just wasn't for everybody.

Perhaps.

Gabriel would see how things turned out with Asariel.

* * *

"What do you think They are doing," Gabriel wondered aloud, "that requires us to be so thoroughly distracted by fledglings?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Raphael said, having long ago moved on from watching Naomi and, after nem, Dumah. Measured in how many ne had taken care of since, Gabriel supposed their Parent _must_ have been working on something _Big,_ to want to keep giving the four of them (and everybody else) more to take care of.

"I was only saying what I thought."

"If They wanted to be left alone, They would ask us," Raphael replied, then glanced down at Rachel, who was tugging insistently at nem. "Yes?"

"Can we go?" Rachel asked. Asaph and Sachiel fidgeted behind nem, casting curious glances at Gabriel.

"Go ahead," Raphael said, "but don't - get into trouble," ne finished to nobody as the fledglings disappeared."

"Unless they run into Camael or Cassiel, I doubt they'll be able to find much," Gabriel said, grinning.

" _You_ did with only three other angels around, forgive me for not being so sure." Raphael bumped nir largest wing companionably against Gabriel's. "Is this all you came to talk about?"

Gabriel shrugged with nir shoulders and all nir wings. "Samael was busy."

"You're going to _tell_ me I'm your second choice?"

"You're the one who was always telling me to be honest," Gabriel protested. Raphael rolled nir eyes.

"What's Samael doing, anyway?"

"I don't know, I just couldn't find nem," Gabriel answered. "I _may_ have gotten a little sidetracked." Ne had crossed paths with Remiel, and her fledglings were so cute! Even if Jaoel, of the three, was a bit of a terror.

"Of course you did," Raphael said dryly.

"Truly, though. What do you think They are doing?" Gabriel questioned, sidling closer to Raphael.

"I couldn't say. Making angels? You may not have noticed, but there are quite a lot of us around recently."

"Oh, _really_?" Gabriel teased right back. "Hmm, maybe _that's_ why there have been two little angels following me around all the time. Does that mean I _wasn't_ supposed to leave them with Remiel to watch them?"

"Is that where yours went?"

"Castiel and Balthazar sepaaete aren't so bad, I don't think Remiel minded much."

"Separate?"

"I left Balthazar with Azrael," Gabriel said, refraining from adding _in the hope it wouldn't go too badly._

"Isn't ne the one who keeps picking fights with Zachariah?"

"I was under the impression it was Castiel. Or possibly both of them together. Cassiel encourages them," Gabriel added. "Ne never did like Zachariah."

Raphael looked tempted to agree, or possibly that was just wishful thinking. "They sound like a handful."

"Samael said it had to be some kind of retribution for all the trouble I caused as a fledgling."

Raphael snorted. "I'd believe _that_."

"You're so rude."

"It isn't rude if it's true."

"Is that what you said to Samael?" Raphael slung a wing casually around Gabriel's back. "I'm curious to see where ne are. We may as well go find nem. And wherever ne are, Michael must be with them."

"You're always around Michael," Gabriel sighed dramatically. "I'd rather go look at something interesting."

"Like the Universe?"

"Why not? We _could_ just tell them where to meet us, if you want to speak to Michael so badly," Gabriel wheedled.

Raphael gave nem a Look. "What do you want to show me, Gabriel?"

"Nothing big." Raphael just waited, so Gabriel gave in and told nem. "There's a star doing something strange."

"Strange like what?"

"I don't know what it's doing, that's why it's strange."

"Hm," Raphael said, and then finally said "well, alright."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comment, please!

**Author's Note:**

> Comment, please! I'd love to know what you think.
> 
> I have more written, but I'd like to keep some material saved up in case of a bad stretch of writer's block.


End file.
